Mount Si’s boys basketball season is over after three losses last week, the last coming against one of the region’s top teams.
The Wildcats played in the first round of the Sea-King District Tournament Saturday, Feb. 13, against the Seattle Prep Panthers on Seattle Prep’s home floor, and the Panthers showed why they are among the best in the region, blasting Mount Si 77-45.
“We just really did not shoot the ball well tonight,” said a disappointed Wildcat coach Steve Helm by phone to the Valley Record.
Mount Si was led in the game by Levi Botten’s 13 points and Mason Bragg’s 10, but it was the struggles of their two top players which proved to be key. Senior Dallas Smith, playing in what turned out to be his final high school game, was 3-17 from the floor and finished with seven points.
Smith played hard, “but just could not get a basket to fall,” Helm said. Sophomore Trent Riley went 1-9 from the field.
Seattle Prep had four scorers in double figures, led by junior star Mitch Brewe, with 18. Watch for Brewe to be the top college prospect as a senior next season; on its website, the school reported he already has scored 1,000 career points at the high school level.
The Wildcats came into last Saturday’s contest off two losses at the Kingco Tournament at Bellevue College. Last Tuesday, Feb. 8, in the semifinals, Mount Si was held scoreless in the entire first quarter, but came back to make a game of it against Mercer Island before falling 55-46. Then last Thursday, Feb. 10, the Wildcats held the lead against Lake Washington in the third-place game at halftime, then came out flat in the third quarter, only scoring four points in the entire frame. LW used those struggles to their advantage to hand Mount Si a 62-56 loss.
Mount Si finished their first season under Helm at 11-13, and Helm is pleased with how things went.
“It was a great learning experience for our kids,” he said.
Next season looks to be hopefully better, with several key returners, led by Riley, Botten, and seniors-to-be Bragg and Anthony McLaughlin.
“I look forward to next year and continue to build on this thing,” Helm said.
